Nearly 40,000 without power as Georgia officials warn of icy roads

Tens of thousands of people are still without power, and officials urge residents to stay off the roads on Monday as icy conditions remain a threat to drivers in metro Atlanta and north Georgia.

The latest: As of Sunday evening, Georgia Power reported a little more than 17,000 of its 2.8 million customers were without electricity.

• Another 22,000 outages were reported by Georgia EMC, the trade association that represents the state's 41 electric membership corporations.
• Trees have been toppled in nearly every county affected by icy conditions, and state crews are working to remove debris in affected areas, said Josh Lamb, director of Georgia Emergency Management Agency and Homeland Security.
• State government offices in the northern half of the state will be closed Monday, and several Georgia State Park sites will open as warming centers for anyone who loses power.

Driving the news: State officials briefed members of the press Sunday afternoon about Winter Storm Fern, which left nearly 1 million people without power, killed at least three people, dumped more than a foot of snow in some areas and canceled over 11,000 flights across the country, ABC News reports.

• Lamb encouraged Georgians in affected areas to stay off the roads, as any moisture left on roadways overnight will turn into black ice Monday morning.
• "Hopefully we warm up enough [on Monday] to melt and dry everything before temperatures really plummet again on Tuesday morning," said state meteorologist Will Lanxton.
• Coupled with ice, high winds also make trees and power lines vulnerable to falling, Lamb said.

Catch up quick: Gov. Brian Kemp on Thursday declared a state of emergency for all counties ahead of the storm, which allowed him to mobilize up to 500 National Guard troops to assist in the winter weather response.

• Maj. Gen. Richard D. Wilson said troops will be primarily focused on clearing roadways, helping with power restoration efforts and moving supplies on the ground or via the air.
• "Our soldiers and airmen are proud to be part of the team, and so we're going to be in this thing with you until we're finished," Wilson said Sunday.
• A federal emergency declaration was also issued for 112 Georgia counties, which Lamb said will allow FEMA to help the state in its response to the storm.

By the numbers: Russell McMurry, commissioner of the Georgia Department of Transportation, said the agency treated 18,000 miles of roads before the storm.

• Crews used 1.5 million gallons of brine and about 2,500 tons of the salt aggregate mix they apply after removing sleet and freezing rain from the road.
• At least two dozen state routes have some form of closures, most of which are in north Georgia and parts of metro Atlanta.
• About 70 staff members and 42 pieces of equipment were moved to treat state roadways in east metro Atlanta and north and northeast Georgia.

The fine print: School districts across metro Atlanta and north Georgia are closed Monday, as are colleges and universities.

The bottom line: "[Monday] morning and overnight [Sunday] are going to be very difficult, and so just stay home until we can provide more information that we know that these roads and the temperatures are favorable for travel," McMurry said.

Editor's note: This story has been updated.